About Lucy Hodges MBE, The Face Behind Inspiration In You.

Lucy Hodges is an award-winning world champion sailor, Adaptive CrossFit athlete mentor, and disability sports ambassador.

She is one of the UK’s most successful disabled sailors being four times Blind Match Racing World Champion and four times World Blind Fleet Racing Champion.

Alone side her sailing representing for Great Britain at the Adaptive CrossFit Games with two tope five finishes.

In December 1997 she was registered blind with Photophobia Nystagmus a condition that she has had since birth born.  

All through her life, Lucy has used sport as her way of overcoming the barriers that come with her disability.  Before finding sailing she was an elite level swimmer earning 2 British Records.  But it was in sailing that she found her true calling building the passion that gave her freedom from day to day life and relying on a white cane and allowing her to travel the world competing at the highest levels.

"They won't let me drive a car around the M25 by myself but they'll let me drive a boat!" she reflects.

Her competitive career is not her only motivational force.  Lucy is also passionate about using her experience and life story to inspire others.  She is the commodore of Blind Sailing UK, a charity encouraging and providing sailing to the Blind across the country.  Under her leadership, Blind Sailing UK has consistently produced a string of world champion sailors that continue to dominate the sport year after year. Through Blind Sailing UK Lucy has also been highly inspirational promoting and support sailing at a grass-roots level working closely with yachting and sailing clubs and events throughout the UK.

In recognition of her contribution to blind sailing, she was awarded an MBE in December 2013.  Earlier that year she sailed Lake Windermere solo to help raise money for the British Blind Sailing Team's travel costs to compete in the World Championships in Japan.  She has received numerous awards in recognition of her many achievements including RADA European Human Rights Award, Essex Sports Personality of the Year and was Rochford District Disabled Sports Personality of Year 5 years running.

 

Lucy has now found CrossFit a true sport that adapts to all disabilities and creates an equal playing field, Lucy has been competing since 2022 and has represented Great Britain finishing 2nd and 4th in the world.  Lucy is now a fully trained Functional Personal Trainer giving all her knowledge.

Now Lucy is using her compelling life story to inspire and motivate others.  Her inspirational story continues to make headlines in local, national, and international press including features for the BBC, CNN, and many others. 

Her high-profile career and achievements have meant that she has been in great demand as a keynote and motivational speaker at events across the country at all levels.  Her infectious sense of humor coupled with her natural passion for inspiring others means that she is comfortable in front of any audience, be it in a school classroom or at the largest corporate function.